[538] How James Harden Changed His Game In Brooklyn

Proof that the player hasn't changed, just the circumstances.

 

All I see is blue

 

On mobile dark theme it hurts eyes but I read thru link

 

So, IOW, he is playing differently according to the measurable data we have.

The reasons for why is playing differently (different mindset or different team context) is a separate question that is open to debate.

 

Black doesn't work either for Dark Theme users. How about just use bold formatting for that part?

 

If you mean the last two years sure, there are differences. Right now though he's playing the pretty much same way he played in 2016-2017. I think as we have discussed there should be a distinction between calling him a different player and saying he's playing differently. I dont even like saying the latter. Were people talking about Lebron James being a "new" player when he got to the Lakers? No, his options changed. Same here.

 

Harden has really blossomed since leaving the draconian system in Houston.

 

Do 538 realise MDA is sitting right there on the BKN bench???

Harden runs mostly the same sets

 

Saying he is a different player can be done in a way that is disrespectful to the work he put in as a Rocket. That's annoying.

But an article that's describing the way he is playing differently as a Net seems fine to me, as long as it's not taking unfair shots at the work he did as a Rocket under different circumstances. What qualifies as an unfair shot is of course a matter of opinion.

 

this 538 hasn't been right about anything bball related. last postseason they had us w/ top title odds lol

 

Show me the articles of Kobe “playing differently” versus articles focusing on how he needed better teammates ... from his ballhogs bad Lakers years to the B2B.

...

Showing slightly different stats does not equate to changing your game. His stats took a shocking turn between McHale and MDA. This is a subtle difference in stats at best ... especially vs 2016-17.

like a QB in the NFL, he is the floor general and is running largely the same plays, but at different rates. He didn’t just add the floater and step back to his game; he isn’t playing off ball/cutting like many predicted he’d need to do; he didn’t just learn how to make any of those passes; he isn’t shooting midrange; he’s still dribbling a lot to lull defense to sleep during ISOs; he’s still standing offscreen watching Irving go 4x4; his defense was just as good last year.

The biggest difference imo is he’s going out of his way to get his teammates to stand on their own feet, and be ready for a pass. It’s like he knows he has to raise the boat for everyone, but this time, he wants the young guys to think, and is making them cut more, and if they fail, then so be it, shake it off and learn from failure. So ,,, atm ,,, he’s more inclined to give up the ball than shoot or drive to rim himself.

this is most notable in his passing once in the lane

there is far more similarities to differences.

These stats article are just needing a story and hunting for statistical difference, so people can have their cake and eat it too, in the sense of liking Harden now but needing articles like this to feel justified in previous dislike ... rather than, oh, I didn’t know he was this talented, because that offense Rockets ran last three years was too ugly to watch...(and, like Kobe, blame it on being surrounded with bad offensive players)

As someone who has actually followed Harden’s career, and can unpack stats on him to super geek levels as well as give lectures on film studies, I don’t see why there needs to be a hunt for “change” to justify previous dislike.

For casuals, can’t we just show stats and film of how he always had this game, and just needed a better fit. You can’t tell me that’s not a story too? And one closer to the actual facts.

 

I think calling him a different player in any capacity is insulting to his time as a Rocket. Saying he’s playing different than the last two years I guess is okay. But to say he’s reinventing his game or now he’s a more exciting player is just false. He’s getting less free throws so people can just pretend he’s different now.

 

The stats aren't slightly different. This isn't just normal year-to-year statistical variation. You mentioned the shocking turn from McHale to MDA. Yes, and there were a bunch of articles that year talking about the differences in his game that season too, weren't there?

I agree with you that that focusing on change to justify previous dislike is annoying, particularly if the reasons for the original dislike are not fact-based. But it doesn't follow that the change isn't there.

 

82games.com breaks down the Harden passing

http://www.82games.com/2021/20HOU5.HTM

Season...............3-pt ast.....jump ast....close ast.....dunk ast...total ast.......pass T/O's.....ast/bad pass....pass Rtg.......ast 48 mins.
Houston17/18........240...….........24.............187...............178.............629...….............161...................3.9.....................19.7...................12.1
Houston 20/21,........27......…........7...............25...…............24...............83.....................17....................4.9.....................24.8..................14.1
Brooklyn 20/21........95................36..............54.................48...............233...................43....................5.4.....................21.0..................14.2

So let's put up 17/18 season (72 games) vs Brooklyn 20/21 season (22 games) numbers projected out:
Houston 17/18..........240..............24............187...............178..............629...................161..................
Brooklyn 20/21..........311............115...........176...............157..............763...............…..144..................

So less close/dunk assists for Harden now.......more 3-point assists. Can reporters claim Houston didn't take 3-pt shots in the last 4 seasons?
Brooklyn just has better 3-point shooters in Joe Harris/Durant/Irving etc.

So one could say Silas changed Harden before Brooklyn did.

 

Can you really call something different if it’s just changing the frequencies in your play distribution??? I guess you can but Like I agree with HP, this article shouldn’t be called “How James Harden has changed in Brooklyn” because it’s a useless distinction that any non casual who has watched Harden would find useless. it should be talking about “James Harden has pieces around him” or “James Harden has new weapons”